From a Spark to a Flame
by Cosmic Sky
Summary: Their adventures as Phantom Thieves had left them with a to contend with. One of them was reexamining what sort of relationship they had. It was a question neither Ann nor Ryuji knew how to answer. Though they called one another friends they knew their feelings were going beyond that. Maybe that wasn't a bad thing, after all, everyone needs a light in their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone, I'm back and with something a tad bit different this time around. Yes, this little number is a Ryuji/Ann piece, perhaps my first take at doing a "side pairing", though I love them together as much as I love Akira with Kawakami and Takemi respectively. It's really a repeat of Yosuke Chie in that I think they make a cute couple thus I've decided to tip a toe into writing them as such. First up, this is post-game so they'll obviously have a few things to talk about, and some feelings to sort out. See for yourselves! **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

**Chapter 1-What Are We Now? **

"Are you sure you don't want to take a jacket? According to the forecast it's supposed to rain and the last thing I'd want is for you to catch a cold. Remember, this is the sort of weather where you can catch a cold if you're out at the wrong time."

Upon meeting him, it wasn't strange to form a…certain first impression of Ryuji Sakamoto. Most of the time, the conclusion one came to was right, but it only scratched the surface of who he was. Sure, he had his rougher edges, but he also had a kinder side. That could be chalked up to the petite woman standing before him, her face one of worry as he attempted to talk away her doubts. Generally speaking, most people would have had a tough time connecting the dots between him and his mother.

Were his hair not dyed yellow, it would have been the same sable black as hers'. Though he wished he hadn't inherited his father's spikes, Ayana Sakamoto always told her son that his spikes were cute and would one day attract pretty girls. For a while, he believed that, but then he stopped caring, especially after he decided to dye his hair blond. Though she'd put up some protest, she'd eventually come to accept his choice, especially after learning of a certain…reason for his decision. Ryuji was grateful his mother never brought up such reasons, at least in public anyway.

"Well, if you're going to go running, would you mind doing your dear old mother a little errand?" She offered with the light smile she knew he loved so much. As usual, it was impossible for him to resist. "Great! Now listen, you know how I told you I received a few personal requests to wash certain items? Well, they're all done and I'd like it if you could personally deliver them to their owners. Don't worry, there's nothing in there that'll give you cuties."

Ryuji practically stumbled back into the wall at his mother's teasing tone and her wink. "M-M-Mom! Come on, really!? You had me at you needed me to do something, now you've got me second-guessing doing this!"

"Hm, even if it means a bump-up in your allowance?" Leered the shorter Sakamoto. "Last I checked, there was this new-"

"I'll do it! I'll do it! You don't need to bait me or pressure me with anything!" Cried the former track star racking his hands through his hair in mock irritation. On the inside, a part of him took a mental photo of his mother's giggling face and filed it away. There once was a time when he never thought he'd see his mother in a such a jovial mood; to see such a thing seemed no more than a distant dream. Still, it was a dream he'd steadily worked towards making a reality. He wasn't quite sure if he'd succeeded; personally, he felt time had simply done a better job at healing the scars his father had left than he ever could.

"Great! I'll go get the clothes! Oh, and take a jacket when you go out! The sky's looking pretty nasty so best be careful!"

Even if it did rain, it wasn't like it was going to be the first time he was caught in the open when the bottom fell out. One day that had been hammered well into Ryuji's mind was the fact that he lived in one of the biggest, most heavily developed cities in the world. There was always a place to duck in and take over when the weather turned nasty. Most of the time anyway, and if said place's owners didn't have a problem with it. Whenever forced into a situation such as that Ryuji tried to look as placid as possible since he wasn't like his teammates, barring Akira perhaps. Even now, some said he still walked with an air of trouble around him that warred people off. But thankfully, not everyone.

Ryuji looked to the sky the first minute he stepped out of the door, a bag slung over his left shoulder. The clouds were growing thicker and grayer with each passing second furthering his mother's words. He could practically taste the rain in the air while he bathed in the rays of the summer sun. From clear and sunny to dark and stormy, quite a change, but one he'd grown accustomed to. Ryuji glanced down at the blue and gray-colored bag that hung at his left side hip. Common sense told him to deliver the clothes first and foremost before he could start his run. The last thing he wanted was getting pulled over and someone questioning him on why he had a bunch of freshly cleaned and folded clothes in his back. Never mind that there wasn't anything too incriminating in them, it was just the stigma of it all. A stigma he'd grown too used to.

Somehow, he believed he'd grown better at carrying the stigma, and even taking steps to wash it away. There was no mistake it was at its strongest whenever he was at the school, where his past reputation weighed heavily. In the outside world though, the vibrant, bustling world he was now walking through, he seemed just another person at first glance. The fact that he was a former Phantom Thief most likely flew completely the heads of onlookers and those he interacted with.

A thin smile tugged at his lips at the thought. Though their fame had begun to fade, Ryuji always enjoyed looking back on the memories, both the good and the bad ones. Rising up into his chest was a warm feeling at the thought of all the mishaps and achievements they'd made. As he passed by several billboards overlooking the street, he looked up to them with an ever-blooming smile. Almost the entirety of the Tokyo police turning the city upside down and he and his teammates, his friends, were going on with their daily lives right under their noses.

And somehow, he and all his friends had gotten away with it. Mostly.

_Now all that is over, at least…for now. _The thought surprised him, in both the fact that he actually conceived it and how he voiced it in his head. Ryuji knew anticipation when he heard it, it was practically written in his DNA. Before him, the street light turned green giving him and those around him the ago ahead to walk forward. He waited, an uncharacteristic act. _For now…am I seriously hoping all that hell in the Metaverse starts back up again? Am I SERIOUSLY hoping for that? _Suddenly, his mouth tasted like sandpaper and an uncomfortable tremor shook his gut. What was he saying? Sure, roaming the Metaverse alongside his friends had started out as fun, but after Okumura's Palace things had become…well, Ryuji could say without a doubt he wasn't ever going to forget the series of events from October onward. Even as old age took him, he would hang onto the memories of the events that followed.

The good, the bad, and everything in-between.

_Seriously though, do I…do I really wanna relive all of that? _Whispered the dyed blond, his gaze directed down at the ground. Slowly, his gaze drifted skyward. The sun was still out, shining bright and castings its warm rays across Tokyo. _Right about now, we'd be risking our lives fighting some shitty demon sitting on a toilet or something. Instead of that I'm…here…at the very least I don't have to worry about getting killed or something. Not to mention I don't have to worry about Ann or the others getting…_ At the thought of his pig-tailed friend, Ryuji's mind came to a sudden and screeching halt. All previous thoughts were wiped away as he pictured the natural-blonde girl who'd he grown unexpectedly close to over the last year. Closer than he'd ever thought possible really.

"I wonder what she's doing right about now. Probably at a photoshoot or something." In other words, something he couldn't begin to wrap his head around. Oddly, it was just her he focused on as his mind turned to thoughts a photoshoot. For most guys, guys like him, rather than one girl multiple girls might have came to mind. The sort that guys spent time fantasizing about, often in…less savory ways. Ryuji wasn't as proud or hypocritical as to omit himself from such groupings. It was just lately one girl in particular had been the focus of his thoughts. He'd seen Ann in a bikini before; needless to say, it was a sight he wasn't going to be forgetting any time soon, nor did he ever want the memory to fade.

Scratch, he didn't want his relationship with _her _to fade.

"Maybe when I get the chance to I should-uh?" Immediately, his right hand went to his cheek where he felt the drop of moisture touch his skin. Another quickly followed, and then a third and then a fourth. As if for the first time, Ryuji looked up to the sky and saw that the sun had gradually been obscured by a blanket of black and gray clouds. He couldn't help but groan in annoyance. "Seriously? This early? Huh? What the-?" It finally dawned on him that none of the people he was standing with were the same he'd been waiting with a moment ago, or what he thought was a moment ago. Quickly, he pulled out his phone and checked the time. "For real?" Groaned the teen again in annoyance. He'd left his home at twelve-thirty, it was now one-twenty. His home was less than three blocks from his current location meaning he'd been standing in the same spot for almost twenty minutes. Most of that time being spent thinking about his past and his future, and what roll a certain girl might be playing in it.

Bustling with a mixture of annoyance and anxiety, Ryuji waited for the light to change, again. As soon as his eyes spotted the go ahead light he nearly took off in a speed walk that would have caught a few eyes if everyone had not already been preoccupied. All around him people were either pulling out umbrellas or pulling up their hoodies. He would do the same as soon as he caught a moment to himself. And clear his head while he was at it.

_She's got better things to do then listen to you yap and complain about how much you miss being a Phantom Thief. Forget about and focus on the fact that…oh, F it! I can still run in this weather! I've done it before, I can do it again! _Mentally snapped the teenager. His mind was racing as two demands struggled for dominance in his mind; or maybe it would have been more accurate to say that there was one demand that the logical side of him was trying to shoot down. As his feet stopped through puddle after puddle, he his mind gradually drifted to Ann. Having spent more time than either were willing to admit apart, he'd gotten to see her in a lot of different lights, physically and mentally.

"_You…you asshole! Do you have any idea how worried we were?! We thought we lost you too!" _

Perhaps proving some old proverbs, a boom of thunder sounded overhead causing Ryuji to wince. Hearing those words hadn't hurt as much the first time when Ann had spoken them in person. In the following days and nights as the full weight of his stunt sunk in, things began to change. Watching the girls cry had hurt, but Ann in specifically had rattled something in him.

Seconds after his raincoat was pulled on and his hoodie pulled up Ryuji heard another boom of thunder. He looked up to the blackened sky with a somber expression. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll apologize starting with Ann. You don't have to beat it into my head." At the moment, Ryuji was somewhat grateful he could no longer hear his Personas. Captain Kidd would have likely had a snide remark about making a "lady" like Ann cry, and then some. As for his Ultimate Persona…well, as wise-cracking as his initial Persona was, Ryuji could safely say that Seiten Taisei was worse. He'd pestered Ryuji nonstop to the point he could clearly remember spending an entire night feeling bad about it.

And all that wasn't even counting Akira, who merely gave him aside glances and little "pushes" every now and then. It was annoying.

But what made it _really _annoying was the acceptance that they all had been right.

* * *

"Alright, I'll admit it, you were right. It was sort of stupid for us to have a photoshoot on a day like today. There, you happy?"

Ann couldn't help but flash the gray-haired photographer a smirk. While she wasn't quite sure how many, she definitely knew she'd won most of the little arguments they had. Atsuji knew it too based on the near defeated look on his face.

"I am, but I'm willing to admit that it was a nice way to spend the first half of the day. Besides, I'm sure you got a kick out of it. You love summer, don't you?"

There was a light blush on the older boy's face that he didn't even try to hide. It was relatively useless as he'd learned that the quarter-white model had a keen eye. And one hell of a sharp tongue to go with it. Truthfully, it was one of the things that had drawn Atsuji to Ann in the first place. He respected those qualities of hers; once she'd realized that they'd been able to cross the boundary into a friendship that both were pleased with.

"While that's true, we're only in the early part of it. See, what I really would love are the swimsuit shots." Chuckled the nineteen-year-old with a light shrug of his shoulders. "Unfortunately, that can't happen when the weather's like this. Not that I'm against the rain. Some people can look quite photogenic in the rain. Like you for instance!"

Ann accepted his compliment with a roll of her eyes. "Yes, thank you, not like I haven't figured that out myself."

"Hey, I'm trying to be kind here, not offensive or rude. You seriously look good in the rain. In fact, I'm pretty sure you getting caught in the rain would look like a scene out of a movie or something. Just look out there." He motioned to the dark and dreary world outside of the subway car. While some might have called the sight a bit depressing, people like Atsuji looked at it in a different way. Ann liked to think it was part of being a photographer or something; Yusuke often expressed similar tastes. "The lonely maiden journeying through the rain-soaked city unsure of where she's going and just taking a moment to stop and bask in her thoughts. It'd make for a killer movie poster and draw-in!"

Again, Ann rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Uh-huh. For this hypothetical poster, would the 'maiden' in question be wearing extremely skimpy clothing? The kind that gets soaked easily making it see-through?"

Atsuji looked at her with a shameless grin. Respectable as he may be, Ann still remembered that he was a bit of a pervert. While an overall nice and admittedly friendly person, he was still a self-admitted pervert. Just one that she could tolerate most of the time. "Well, I did say it'd be a big draw? The scene could also be pretty iconic. Not to mention it'd make for a nice lead-up to the part where the romantic male lead arrives on the scene and swoops her up in his arms, telling her that she isn't as alone in the world as she thinks."

"You know, there are times I think you'd be better off as a writer or director instead of photographer." Sniped the blonde-haired girl.

"We are all artists working to create our own special brand of art, so you're probably not that far off." Rather her words were a compliment or an insult didn't seem to faze him. One other thing she had to give Atsuji credit for was his ability to shrug off most of what came his way, and help others in doing the same. It was yet another little talent of his that had landed him an internship as a photographer on their sets. While perfectly capable of doing so herself, he'd helped her through a rough patch or two. "You ever thought about meeting that perfect guy in a situation like that?"

"No, because I don't think like my life is a TV show or a movie." If her luck held, Atsuji would never know the…irony that laced Ann's statement. Also perhaps the slight melancholy. Less than six months ago, her life had been like something out of a TV show or a movie, except it had all been real. Oh so painfully and horrifically real at certain points. Ann couldn't deny that it had been like an adventure; she'd seen what a _real _adventure had been like though, it was full of good and bad. Things she'd never forget. "If I ever meet the right guy…well, who knows when that'll happen. Maybe it won't ever happen. It's not like it's something I'll be broken up about. I don't need a man in my life to be happy."

The older male's bright green eyes fell upon her, a lax smile on his face. Once, that would have set Ann on edge, made her eager to move as far away as possible from him. Now…things were a tad different. Though a bit lecherous at times, Ann knew that Atsuji respected her personhood and boundaries. That, and she had a gut feeling that while he didn't see her in a romantic light, he did see her as someone he could confine in. Assumptions like that led to moments like this, the two of them taking the train together to a common location in the aftermath of a photoshoot, simply talking like normal coworkers. Idealistic as it may have sounded, a part of Ann wanted to believe her future held more moments like this in store for her. It was something she believed was worth hoping for.

In spite of the rain, life went on, which was perfectly natural for a city like Tokyo. One could argue that the rain seemingly brought out something different in everyone. For Ann, she liked the rain well enough. Raining met no outdoor photoshoots which meant she had some free time to herself. She was willing to spend it with Atsuji down in Akihabara. The otaku-centered district was always at its brightest whenever the outside world had darkened. Originally, Ann didn't spend much time there, but since joining the Phantom Thieves, she'd found herself making a trip or two there.

Ann was still a teenager, and she still had some parts of her youth that she could enjoy. And she had people who she could enjoy it with.

Bright in her face were the colorful lights of the district, and loud in her ears was the massive cacophony of voices going about their daily business.

"So, what is it you're looking for this time?" Ann began.

"You know, you don't have to come with me, unless there's something on your mind. Come on, you can tell me." Coolly shot back the photographer with a sly grin. "Is it a guy? It's a guy, isn't it?"

"Okay, now I'm thinking about leaving." Quickly fired back the high-school student with a scowl. "Seriously, is that all your mind is wired for?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to get to know you a bit better. Of all the possible girls that are on set, you're probably the most interesting one. You're pretty much a rising star and you have a head you keep firmly attached to your shoulders; guys can be attracted to all of that for the right and wrong reasons." Stopping dead in his tracks, he turned to look at her, completely ignoring the dozens of people bustling about around them. For the first time, Ann felt her body tense. "You have the look of someone who's either met the right guy and never confessed to him, or thinks she's met him but is too scared to confess your feelings."

His words were like bullets that hit her in the most sensitive spot imaginable. "H-H-Hey! W-Where the hell did that come from?! I thought I told you not to profile me!"

Atsuji shrugged, keeping a light smile on his face. She hated it, partially because it reminded her of Akira's, especially when he was "analyzing" her feelings on certain topics. Or certain people. "It's just a thought! I'm just saying, I've been around the block and I've learned how to pick up a thing or two about people! All of that is just my little opinion, no need to claw my head off!"

That's exactly what Ann was thinking about doing. Persona or not, she was still a force to be reckoned with. She absolutely refused to believe her "inner fire" was gone along with her Persona abilities. Panther was just a mask; it was the person behind it all that made it count for something.

Of course, she was still a teenage girl whose feelings could be rattled leaving her flustered. She remained in that flustered state all the way into a comics shop that she spotted Atsuji going into. Absent minded, she followed him in; she grabbed the first mildly interesting thing that caught her eye and thought no more about it.

Until she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey! I was, wait a second!"

Ann blinked once, then twice. "R-Ryuji? You're soaked!"

The dyed blond teen rolled his eyes. How typical of her to jump to that upon seeing him. Then again, he couldn't really deny the truth of her words. Unlike her, who'd managed to mostly stay out of the rain and dry off a bit, he'd bore the brunt of it. A natural conclusion of him deciding at least try to make a few of his deliveries in spite of the weather. For a reward, he'd gotten rather soaked.

"So, um…did the shoot get canceled or what?" He finally spoke seemingly having already moved on.

"Yeah, pretty much. I-"

"Yoh! Been a while since I've seen you, Ryu…Ryu…Ryoma?" Chirped a second male voice that Ryuji failed to recognized, but irked him none the less.

Quickly, the former runner swerved his eyes to Ann's left. From a single glance, he could tell the newcomer was college-age, perhaps a year or two older than him. He had hair the color of gray concrete which clashed with his green eyes, both of which cackled with amusement as he looked between him and Ann. For her part, the latter looked annoyed more than anything.

"It's actually-"

"Ryuji, Ryuji, Atsuji. He works as a photographer on set from time to time. You two should get along together. You've got a few things in common."

By reflex, the former strongman felt his nerves fire up. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Ah, so this is how she is around people she actually likes! Don't worry, Ryuji, she's just being a bit snappy because you were there to see her this time." Atsuji explained. In seconds, Ann's piercing gaze was leveled at him; all he did was laugh it off.

"I was not!" Exploded the pig-tailed girl. "Geez, now I'm really starting to regret this!"

"Yeah, and so am I, though I have a perfect idea of how I can make it up to you." Grinned the green-eyed photographer. "I'll leave you and your friend alone for the rest of the day! I've actually got some video editing I have to do so I really shouldn't be buzzing around a place like this anyway."

"Then why'd you come down here?" Snapped Ann with an angry knot slowly forming on her head.

"Hm, good question. I'll just have to explain all of this to my professor when he asks why I turned in a shady piece of work! Later, Ann, Ryuji!" Atsuji cheered waving at the pair as he headed for the exit. Seconds before he left the shop his umbrella was popped open and he was gone into the outside crowd.

Ryuji opened his mouth to speak, but Ann beat him to the punch. "Sometimes, that guy can be really, really annoying. Perverted and annoying." There was a beat before she turned to him, a light blush tugging on her cheeks. "S-S-Sorry! Sorry!"

"About wha-ahh…" Though he got more than his share of flake for being hard-headed, there were times Ryuji could be…rather sharp. This was one of those times, and one of those times he was able to keep a bottleneck on his emotions. "Hey, it's no problem. I've…I've gotten used to it."

"But you shouldn't have. You're better than that." There was a pregnant pause as she glanced at the door Atsuji had previously passed through. "Alright, and so's he. Yeah, he can be a bit perverted and wise-cracking, but Atsuji's one of the good ones."

Finally, the former track star smiled. In turn, Ann grinned herself.

There wasn't much more to be said after that, or rather, neither Ryuji nor Ann felt like anymore needed to be said. At least no in regards to their current situation. Together, they made their way through the store, commenting and critiquing on the other's choice of reading material when the opportunity arose. A little jousting match they always engaged in when they were in their own little bubble, in other words, whenever it was just the two of them. At times, Akira and Mona joined in.

Following a short talk, the arcade became their next stop. It was a decision that they came to with only a few short words, light smiles tugging on their lips. Ann stood in the doorway; her umbrella held out waiting for him. Ryuji briefly stopped, his heart beat slowing to crawl before picking back up again. On sheer impulse, he reached out and took hold of the umbrella, practically jerking it out of Ann's hand. The act caught Ann off guard, but it didn't anger her like he thought it would. As he held up the light red umbrella, Ryuji could have sworn that he caught Ann smiling as she stepped out first, protected from the rain.

"Um are you sure you don't want to wait this out at the café?" It was extremely rare for Ann's voice to sound…timid almost. Normally, Ryuji would have pounced on such a thing, but not in this case.

He could definitely understand how she was feeling-nervous as hell. Almost a whole hour spent playing arcade games for their own amusement more than anything. For the two of them, it was a sweet moment of relief that ended as soon as they grew ready to exit the arcade only to find the rain was still pouring. That's how they ended up broaching the topic of where to wait it out.

It went without saying that almost every high-school age, and college-age, male knew of Akihabara's famous, or infamous, maid café. As for the female students….well, Ann knew a handful of girls that actually worked at them. Some she was friendly with, and others she was decidedly on more hostile terms. When it came to the issue of the café in which, Ann made it clear that nothing short of the death would make her consider working at the place. Or even visiting it. That was the past though.

Ryuji glanced at his former teammate, his now most unlikely friend. "N-N-No, I-I mean there are plenty of other places for us to go!"

"I'm talking places that are within walking distance so we won't get soaked down to the bone." Explained the female blonde. "Ryuji, I'm serious. If you want to have a bite to eat there, then let's get going."

The male looked long and hard into Ann's eyes, slowly accepting the truth of her words. If they went to the maid café Ryuji could already see things playing out in his head. An uncomfortable rumble shook his gut. "I got a place where we can go. Follow me!" As he did with her umbrella, he took her head out of sheer impulse and began guiding her, their bags lightly tapping against their hips and backs.

_Have his hands always been this warm? _Thought the quarter-white girl as she allowed herself to be moved through the crowd at the behest of the dyed-haired delinquent ahead of her. In a way, Ryuji was like her lantern, a role that had served her and their former teammates well. _Right alongside Akira. You're always taking up the front, smashing anything that gets in our way. _She couldn't remember if she'd ever told him to his face how happy she was at that assertiveness. Or that she found it somewhat attractive. Ann _definitely _made sure Ryuji never found that part out, or anyone else for that matter. Granted, she was sure that Akira had been onto it during their time as Phantom Thieves. As much as she liked their glasses-wearing friend and leader, he was sometimes a bit too sharp for her liking. Ironically, it made him a perfect counterbalance to Ryuji.

"-you, right?"

"H-Huh? What was it you were saying?" Ann asked seemingly drawn out of her thoughts. She had to focus a bit to hear him over the pattering rain and growing thunder.

"That Atsuji guy," Perhaps it was due to her closeness to him, she could detect what sounded an awful lot like doubt and unease in his voice. "He…um…he hasn't been…harassing you, has he? I mean, you said he was one of the good ones so…"

Instinctively, she gave his hand a squeeze. "Hey, if I were having trouble, I could handle it, but I'd still let you know if there was. Don't worry though, things have been going alright. Thanks for asking me though. It…It means a lot."

Ryuji was happy that his face was directed forward, it helped hide his blush. "I-I-It's nothing, j-just helping out a friend."

"And thanks for that too."

He finally came to a sudden stop, nearly causing Ann to trip over her own feet. She couldn't blame him for being surprised, though she did take a bit of joy in seeing it. "Thanks for being a friend that considerate, it means a lot."

Within seconds, Ryuji was ready to open his mouth and speak again, but he couldn't find the willpower to move the words out. Knowing he couldn't trust his voice, he turned around and began to lightly pull Ann along with him through the streets.

* * *

Ann's blue eyes moved from building to building trying to pick out which one Ryuji was focusing on. She was given a definite answer when he came to a sudden stop before a circular-shaped building with an owl-shaped sign. Her eyes narrowed at the store's name, "Owl Reading", a three-story building that seemed a bit more…upscale compared to the rest of the stores and eat-ins that dotted Akiharabara's blocks. In fact, the closer they got the more Ann thought a place like this belonged in Jinbocho.

Not that she was complaining upon stepping inside and being blasted with a light gale of warm air. Next came the sweet aromas that were too numerous to count.

"Akechi showed me this place. Me and Akira hung out with him here during November."

Ann could have sworn she felt her heart stop beating then start back up again. She turned to look at him and slightly caught her breath.

Just as seeing her shy was a rare sight, so too was seeing Ryuji being downtrodden. Sadly, Ann had seen him in such a state before. Several times, namely after he'd been kicked off the track team thanks to Kamoshida's machinations.

Catching her glance, he turned to her with his usual upbeat smile. "Come on, the best seats are on the second flower. I'll show you."

And show her he did, which by itself Ann was somewhat taken aback by. A nice seat by the window with a nice view of the street down below, and the stormy sky to her right. All of it screamed of consideration and kindness, two things that most people didn't associate with Ryuji Sakamoto. But Ann knew him better than most people. Sure, he was loud and brash, but he had one of the kindest hearts Ann had ever seen. Maybe a bit too kind considering all he'd been through.

Over sandwiches and flatbread pizza they talked and watched the summer storm work its way across the city.

After several quick glances she was hoping he didn't catch Ann finally found the courage to speak. "You still think about him, don't you?"

"…Do you think it's stupid of me to keep thinking about a guy who framed us for murder, tried to kill us, then pretty much sacrificed himself trying to save us?" He spoke with an air of sorrow in his voice. Again, it was rare to see Ryuji in a state like this. "I don't know what I hate more, Akechi, the fact that Shido killed his own son, or the fact that I…I…"

Sucking in a deep breath, the up incoming model reached out across the table to grasp his hand. "He made you think of your own father, didn't you?"

Briefly, he tensed under the feel of her touch, then he began to relax a little. As he shifted through past memories it dawned on Ryuji that Ann was the only person besides his mother who could make him feel this way. He wasn't sure how to feel about it. "When we were fighting him, when he was using Loki, I looked into his eyes and…Ann, I saw _myself _when he was trying to run me through. I saw myself when my dad started beating my mom. I saw myself when Kamoshida pushed him too far. I saw…I…I saw what I could have became if I didn't stop. I was scared shitless…but I…I…making the two of them pay for what they did to my mother. That much…I could understand where Akechi was coming from."

"So can I." He looked at up her, surprise coloring his face. Unable to help herself, she gave him a sad smile. "Remember when we you guys rescued me from Kamoshida? How much I _wanted _to kill him? If I had…I don't think I would have been able to come back." Outside, there was a flash of lightning followed by the beat of thunder. It seemed to echo the own solitary beating of her heart, and his. "If you guys hadn't been there…I probably would have and never would have been able to come back. So…thanks for that too."

"Hey, I wanted to kill him too. After everything he'd done…I'd…" Ryuji sighed and hung his head. "I guess I should just be happy that he's going away and never coming out, like Shido and all the others. It's just the-"

"Damage is done and never really heals, does it?" He knew she was talking about Shiho. Last he heard, she was making progress, albeit coming back to Shujin was looking less and less likely. Ryuji could hardly blame her for not wanting to come back, even if some of the teachers were trying to turn things around. "I…to be honest, I owe a lot to you guys. You, Akira, Mona, and all the others. Without any of you, I never would have been able to walk out of my house with my head held high. I think that's the biggest take away from our time as…you know what."

Right about now, most people would have expected Ryuji to absent-mindedly open his mouth and start talking. Most likely in a rather loud voice. That, or laugh at Ann's naked sentimentality. "Heh, here I was kind of thinking the same thing. How much I owe you guys for putting up with me."

Ann giggled. "It wasn't easy at times, but, Ryuji, we wouldn't trade you for the world. I probably wouldn't trade you for the world."

"W-W-What?!"

Her giggling became full-blown laughter as the dyed-haired teen nearly jumped out of his seat. It seemed the sky was laughing at him as well based on the continuous booms of thunder in the background. "H-Hey, d-d-don't go s-springing stuff like that on me! I-It's not like you!"

"What, so you're saying I can't be a little sentimental when I want to be?" Fired back the natural blonde. "I have feelings too ya' know!"

"I-I know that! B-B-But you talking about them m-makes me think I should come out with them too! I-It's not easy for me, alright!"

An eyebrow was raised, and a heartbeat kicked up. "Your feelings?"

"Seriously? You can have emotional feelings but I can't? Didn't I just spend the last couple of minutes airing my soul and all that?" She ignored his sarcasm and straightened up. A part of Ryuji wished she hadn't. It just furthered the bubbling desire to come clean, which he'd spent at least an hour trying to fight. "Do you…um…do you like ever…do you ever miss it?" Somewhat comically, he leaned in close, perhaps a bit closer than Ann would have liked. "Being a Phantom Thief I mean."

_He's learned how to whisper, I guess small miracles do happened. _She mused as he leaned back in his seat and waited for her to answer. Ann didn't blame him for looking a bit…fidgety as he did so. "At times, yeah, I do, but then I think about while we can't do all the cool and dangerous things we did before, we can take what we learned. Or at least…that's what I try to do."

At first, Ann was a tad bit scared her words weren't what he was hoping for. Seeing his light smile, her fears were just a bit relieved. "You know, this morning when I was out of the house, I…kinda thought about how cool it would be if the whole Metaverse suddenly came back and we got to go back to being Phan-I-I mean doing you know what."

Ann nodded, "Alright, I can't argue with you there. Be hones with me though, would it be because of the excitement or because you wanted to see me in my outfit?"

"Er, can't it be both?" She watched him silently brace for either a tongue lashing or a physical blow. When neither came he decided to continue. "I'm…kinda glad you got used to your outfit. You looked great in it."

It wasn't the first time he'd complimented her Phantom Thief outfit, but it was the first time she'd openly accepted the compliment. "You think I look good in red, don't you?"

Just like before at the streetlight, Ryuji felt like his mouth had sandpaper in it. Getting a single word out became next to impossible. Knowing what his odds were, Ryuji gave up and hung his head in defeat, which caused Ann's laughter to deepen.

"S-S-Seriously though, what…what do you think of me?"

Raising his head, Ryuji was somewhat taken back to see her sudden transformation. Ann had gone from laughing and confident to looking as unsure and standoffish as she did in middle school. It was painful to see. "Has someone been talking about you? That what's-her-name?"

She smiled at his sudden protectiveness. "It's more like a personal thing. Even…even people like me can get a bit down every now and then. You haven't come to any of my photoshoots lately."

Ryuji felt an uncomfortable chill settle around him. "I thought you…I mean…Akira's one thing, but a guy like me-"

"You're both my friends! Dammit, Ryuji, _you're _my friend! Hell, you were practically one of the first people I was able to reach out to! All the way back in middle school when you…" She trailed off, fear and shock catching up to her. In a flash, she was back int that school white and blue school uniform. Compared to all the other students, she stood out like a sore thumb. And then Ryuji came along and suddenly, she wasn't the only blonde. Well, she knew he'd dyed his hair every now and then. Once or twice, she remembered catching his eye, and she remembered him blushing while trying to look away. Ann doubted that Ryuji remembered it thought. A lot of had happened since then. "Any time you want to come to my photoshoots I'll…I'm…you better not ogle any of the other girls, alright!"

"You're going on like I-I-I-I mean give me some credit! I'm better than that! Besides, it's not like any of those girls you're around would really notice a guy like me." _Damn, that was one hell of a quick save. _Mentally sighed the dyed blond.

_That's because none of them know you the way that I do. And odds are, none of them would take the time to get to know you. _Most of the models that Ann worked with would immediately write Ryuji off, some of them quite cruelly. The thought made Ann burn with a bit of anger, yet she felt a small spark of _relief. _She didn't like the thought of other women looking at Ryuji, less so since most of them would have seen him as a means to an end. It wasn't right for him, he deserved better. He deserved-

"Hey, look at that! You can almost see a rainbow!" Shouted the former track star jumping out of his seat.

Ann jerked her head to her left. Outside, the rain had stopped and the clouds had gradually begun to part, at least for the moment. The sun's warm lights were breaking through the previous gloom and casting golden light across the city. As Ryuji had so remarked, one could make out a rainbow or two across the sky. Without a doubt, the result of the gloom of the rain and the light of the sun mixing together to create something amazing. She watched Ryuji marvel at the multi-colored streaks like a child, a warm smile blossoming along her face.

_He's thunder and I'm fire. Sure, I may not be the sun…but the two of us…_

Ryuji looked to her with a wide smile that quickly faltered. "Huh? What is it? Do I have crumbs on my face or something?"

"Yeah, but that's not what I'm smiling at." Giggled the natural blonde. "Hey, you still have some clothes to deliver, right? Would you mind if I helped out?"

An immediate blush exploded across his cheeks. F-For real?! I-I mean d-don't you have things to do right now? I-I-I mean d-d-don't y-you have better things to do t-than deliver laundry?!"

"Last I checked, what I choose to do with my time is my business!" Fired back the olive-skinned beauty. "I want to spend it with a good friend of mine, so what's wrong with that?"

In trying to deny the frantic beating of his heart, Ryuji let his feelings show in the brimming smile on his face. Ann didn't seem to mind seeing it. "Alright then, let's get going!"

"After desert." Winked the former whip-user.

"Say what?" Blinked the former runner.

Ann gave a near feral smile. "What? I just listened to you air your heart out, comforted you, and made the decision to spend the rest of the day with you so I figure I'm entitled to a treat or two."

Ryuji opened and shut his mouth several times before once more hanging his head in sullen acceptance of where things were going. "Fine, I know better than to try to win against you at times like this."

"See, that's something else you've learned! That it's best to treat a lady as kindly as possible." Ann added in a haughty voice. "Now then, what about you?"

"Huh?" He repeated.

Ann playfully rolled her eyes. "We're here, so we might as well enjoy ourselves with a good meal, right?"

The smile that she'd secretly come to treasure returned as he sat back down in his seat. "Definitely."

Though the sun was out, the two teenagers had already been enveloped in a warm blanket of their own. It was one that they'd each unknowingly placed upon the other. In a way, it'd always been there, protecting one another through the highs and lows they went through. Neither of them seemed to notice it on their own, but when in the presence of each other they each seemed to respond to it. Never was there an effort to pull it off, only tighten it even further. As they walked out of the café, umbrellas folded up and hoodies pulled back the respective blankets surrounding them tightened.

Unknown to either of the former Phantom Thieves, a lone observer had secretly been watching their exchange, and their blossoming relationship. A thin smirk tugged at her lips before it was dropped seeing the duo stand up. Quietly, she watched them dump their trays then move toward the escalator then the exit.

"Huh, so he was right. There _is _something between those two." Mused the brunette putting down the romance novel she'd only half been engaged in. It seemed she was watching a real thing play out right before her eyes.

* * *

**As usual, continue onto part two for the conclusion…and then some. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Aaand, here's part two. Warning, mature content incoming and all that! **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

**Chapter Two-Our Flame of Life**

All things considered, Ryuji liked to think he was handling himself well, what with being the only one in the classroom after everyone else had left save for their homeroom teacher. Outside, a mixture of white and gray clouds had begun to steadily infect the skies. Some would have called it an omen.

"Sakamoto-kun, you're not in trouble."

Ryuji could have sworn he felt most of the tension leave his body like the air from a balloon. "Geez, then why'd you scare me like that, Kawakami?"

The homeroom teacher ignored the small knot that formed on her forehead. "First off, it's Ms. Kawakami. Second, you only get that way because we've done this so many times I've actually lost count." Quickly, the annoyed expression dissolved into a more softer, motherly smile. "Thankfully, that's not going to be the case anymore. You've managed to pull your grades up, rather spectacularly might I add."

"F-For real?" Stammered the teenager suddenly sitting bolt up with a startled expression. "Um…what's this for?" A nervous layer of sweat suddenly broke out across his forehead. Gradually, his heartbeat became a looming drumbeat in his ear.

Kawakami sighed in what seemed to be reluctant acceptance of some hazardous task. Most likely what she was about to say was going to be something along those lines. "Sakamoto-kun, I'm just going to come right on out and say it. I…I…first off, I'm sorry again for…everything before."

"I-I-I told you, w-w-we're beyond all that stuff." _Oh man, this is awkward as hell! Why the hell couldn't Akira or Makoto be here! They're better at this stuff! _Screamed the Persona-user as he tried to figure out what this after-class discussion was about. It was driving him crazy.

"Nakaoka came to me. He wanted me to talk to you about…next year, how would you feel about rejoining the track team?"

Thunder boomed, either outdoors or in his head. Either way, Ryuji's mind came to a stretching halt. "…Wh…what?"

Sighing, the language teacher removed herself from her desk and walked closer, stopping only a mere four feet from the stunned student. Her expression was one of equal parts sympathy and equal parts resolution. "He came to me because he wanted me to ask you if you were up for rejoining the track team. To be honest, it's something that I've heard talk about, specifically since you had to…ahem, set Yamaguchi-san straight in regards to the track team." Kawakami's serious expression was broken by a bold smile, the likes of which was as surprising as it was slightly unsettling. "Your actions didn't go unnoticed, just so you know."

It was like a bomb exploded within Ryuji's head. Hundreds of pieces bounced across his head leaving him a speechless statue. Thankfully, the woman who'd heard pulled the pin grenade was rather patient. A stark contrast to her previous behavior where she could just barely tolerate him like ninety-nine percent of the school.

Faintly, the former delinquent realized that such a change in the language teacher's behavior could be traced back to one thing. Or rather one person. The same person who'd helped him turn his life around for the better.

"Did he…Nakaoka, he's not just…he wasn't BSing you, was he?"

"I actually grilled him about that." Kawakami clarified as she seemed to be thinking back to the talk herself. It had caught her completely out of the blue and left her more than a little confused. Following one long night of contemplation and thought she realized that he'd been speaking the truth. Reluctantly of course. And he didn't want Ryuji to know about it until he could come to grips with it himself. "Sakamoto-kun, you've still done your best to look after the track team, haven't you?"

"I…um…no offense, teach, but I think you…already know the answer to that." Mumbled the open-jacket student doing his best to look away. "Also, why'd he choose you as a go-between?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. Probably because I'm your homeroom teacher and he just thought I would pass the message onto you."

"He didn't have enough guts to tell me that in person, or maybe even clear it with the rest of the team probably." Snarled the teenager.

Kawakami's voice was softer than he'd anticipated. "If I had to give my opinion, he was too scared to face you." His faced snapped to her, shock once more coloring his features. "It's not easy facing someone you've wronged, someone who you…someone who you let down or think let you down. Sakamoto-kun, he came to me because he thought I would speak on his behalf for you. As much as I'd like to do that…I can't, partially because it's not my place to. I really don't do sports all that much. It's…well, it's not my department."

"Except for fishing, you're pretty good at that." Laughed former Phantom Thief. He was glad she gave him a light giggle, even if she preferred not to talk about the surprising meetings they had done at the fishing hole alongside Akira. "I…I…I'll consider it. Actually, screw it, next time you see him, just tell him to talk to me face-to-face! Man-to-man! If he wants to ask something like that then he'd better do it directly to me so I can give him an answer!"

She laughed at his somewhat bombastic response. It was entirely what she'd been expecting. "Alright, I'll let him know. Oh, and by the way, keep your grades improving and you'll be able to get back on the team if you choose to go that route?"

"F-For real? I-I mean shouldn't there be…I don't know, a lot more to it?"

The brunette gave him a light shrug. "As your teacher, one that wants to try to do her job, I'll let you in on this secret. The staff's going through some major reorganizing. We're pretty much having to do all of this ourselves since we still don't a principal and the board of education is going through some…issues of its own."

Ryuji felt a slight tug in his gut. _Woah, that's…good, I guess. _"Um, alright, and part of that was…"

"Pump up the sports teams." Kawakami groaned. "Your name came up partially because some of us looked back on Kamoshida and…again, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be, teach. I…still shouldn't have knocked his block off." Bemoaned the blond.

"But he deserved it, ten times over." Softly intercepted the brunette. "Sakamoto-kun, just think it over. Summer break is just around the corner so you'll have some time to think it over. Just…give it some serious thought. It's your choice."

He had a lot to think about, more than he could ever ponder. Pushing his seat back, he felt like his legs were being transformed into jelly. Ryuji couldn't remember the last time he'd ever felt like this. As he was at the threshold of the door, he stopped and twisted his head around to look back at the teacher who'd once looked to him with disdain. "Hey, Kawakami-sensei, thanks for letting me know."

A once rare smile was shot back at him. "Just get home safely at the end of the day. and try to stay out of the rain."

"Please, I've dealt with more than just a little drizzle like what's coming through!"

* * *

As it turned out, it was more than a drizzle. By day's end it was completely pouring as it had two days before.

Ann was waiting for him with an umbrella unfolded and held above her head. "What happened? What did Ms. Kawakami want?" She immediately fired off looking at him with somewhat sharp eyes.

Ryuji was a little taken back by the intensity of her words, and even hostility. "S-She was actually playing messenger. Turns out Nakaoka and some of the others want me to rejoin the track team." His earlier shock was perfectly replicated by his pig-tailed friend. "Yeah, I know. It caught me way off-guard too."

Above their heads, the rain came in full force, distant thunder echoing alongside flashes of lightning. The sound of the storm filled the vacuum between them as they quietly digested the news. It was until they were four blocks away from Shujin did one of them dare to speak up.

"Are you going to accept the offer? You could get a scholarship?"

Something in Ryuji's gut told him whenever answer he gave Ann would support. On one hand, he couldn't deny that she was right. However, he didn't feel right going back to the team just for something like that; he knew he couldn't go back to the track team either. Not with his leg the way that it was. "Nakaoka knows about my leg so I…I think he was lying to Ms. Kawakami, I think he just wanted to talk to me. She said that he was too scared to, I…I can't really blame him."

Ann's eyes drifted downward to his knees. Sure, he'd been practicing, but it was painfully clear that Ryuji would never be able to replicate his previous feats. At best, he'd be deadweight to the team, and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Just because you can't run doesn't mean you can't still contribute to the team. Hell, you contributed by setting Yamaguchi straight when it looked like he was going to become another Kamoshida. Nakaoka knows that so…maybe he wasn't talking about you actually participating in races, but something else." Her words were like the ringing of a bell in his head; the bell hadn't been rung in quite a while. "Look, I'm just trying to look at this from a realistic point of view! You…You can still do the things you love even if you can't run the way you used to! Not in the real world at least." While many things had been lost in the Metaverse, some of them were more clearer than others. Namely were Ryuji's physical abilities. No longer was he able to run free-form as he was able to in the Metaverse as Skull. If he even wanted to come close to speed like that than he needed to push his body to its limits. As far as Ann was concerned, the tradeoffs for doing such weren't worth it.

The former strongman let out a humorful laugh that surprised her. "Guess I have a lot to think about over the summer, don't I? I doubt Nakaoka's pulling my chain, so he's probably got something planned! I won't find that out until I meet him face-to-face!"

"Try not to punch him in the face."

"Hey! I don't solve every problem with violence, plus that'd completely go against the…" His words died as he watched the giggles escape from her lips like water from a dam. "Why do you do that?"

"Because it's funny as hell, and addicting!" Exclaimed the pig-tailed model. To his credit, Ryuji patiently waited for her laughter to subside and her serious nature to return. They came to a mutual stop in the middle of the rain, their eyes aligned to one another. "Ryuji, whatever choice you make, you better know that _all of us _will back it. You need some advice, we're here. I'm here."

"A-A-Ann?" Ryuji was sure the growing thumbing in his ears was his chest, not the thunder overhead. _Oh, hell, not again! I don't need this now! _

_He's looking at me. He's looking at me. He's…he's…focus, Ann! Focus! This is about him, not you! _It took several seconds of her repeating that mantra over and over for her to force out the next couple of words. This was about Ryuji and not her, not her feelings or thoughts but his. "What Kamoshida did…just giving up on your dreams is still letting that bastard win, letting him get away with all the shit he pulled. You're better than that. Even when he broke the track team wide-open using you as the hammer, you still did your best to protect everyone. If you ask me, Nakaoka realized that and wants to talk to you about it. Talk about what you _can _do."

"Well, not run for starters. I-a-ahh…" Pink colored his cheeks at he registered the soft feel of her bare knuckles against his chest. He was loath to admit how good it felt.

"Ryuji, I've seen you. You can do more than just run. You're…you're a pretty incredible guy." Almost a year ago, Ann would have questioned the sanity of anyone who told her she'd make such a statement to Ryuji Sakamoto. Time had a funny way of changing people's opinions, so too did the laws of basic human interaction. She believed in the words she was speaking as surely as the ground was wet from all the rain. "Don't ever let anyone tell you any different, alright? That's what you told me, isn't it?"

It was. The memory of that afternoon was still fresh in his head, for more reasons than the fact that it was less than three days ago. A single day for running that turned into a day for chores had become…something else. It had become something enjoyable as he spent the entire day with the strange pig-tailed girl who'd caught his eye in middle school. Great hadn't been enough to describe it.

_Come on, say something! Please! Do you have any idea how awkward you're making this for me? _Groaned the female blonde. Somehow, her hand had gone straight from a closed fist to lying directly against Ryuji's chest. Her eyes were permanently locked with his in a silent stare down. Though she tried to pull away from him, she simply couldn't bring herself to move away.

His whole body was shaking like the countless leaves around them. Ryuji actually would have preferred it if he was spontaneously blown away by the stormy winds. Alas, such a thing wasn't going to happen, nor was allowing such a thing to happen in his nature. He was the type of person who told others to face forward and tried his best to live that way of life. The way forward meant asking one question; he'd spent close to the last month running like hell way from it. He couldn't afford to keep doing so anymore.

Slowly, the former whip-user withdrew her hand. "Hey, um…do you…since we're already on the way there. Do you wanna wait this out at my place?" Her voice was just one level above a whisper, nearly drowned out by the boom of thunder and the howling winds around them.

And yet Ryuji heard it perfectly. "A-A-Are you…sure about that? I-I-I mean what if your parents come home and they get the wrong idea or something?"

She smiled a little at his concerns. "Relax, they're all the way down to Iwatodai City." Ann laughed at his puzzled expression. "Some place very far they won't be coming back from for another three days. So, what do you say?" For a precious few seconds, the blonde felt her heart quietly beat in her chest. In that window she began to think that everything she'd thought for the past several days had been nothing but a mirage, a folly borne from her own muddled feelings. Then she felt Ryuji's hand grip hers. "Ryuji?"

"Come on, let's get out of the rain, eh?" Laughed back the male blond. It was odd, it was her home they were heading towards yet he was the one doing the leading. She'd only ever allowed him over at her house two times, each with Akira and Mona. Now, it was just the two of them. Ann could almost hear Akira's snickering and Mona's cries of despair.

* * *

When compared to the likes of the home he and his mother lived in, Ann was practically royalty. While she always insisted she wasn't "rich", she came pretty damn close, or at least in the eyes of people like him. The Takamaki house was a large multi-squared two-level building that sat near the heart of an upscale neighborhood, the likes of which people like him wouldn't be caught dead in Or without someone calling the cops on them. The fact that he was walking down the streets and past the homes and through the doors of one of said homes was all a little too surreal to believe.

Ryuji whistled at the massive interior hallway, already bigger than the living room and bedrooms of his own home combined. It was just as grand as he remembered it.

"You know…you and Akira and Mona were the first guys I ever let into this place." Ann spoke as she removed her shoes alongside him.

"Morgana's a cat."

"Still a male cat."

"Alright, I'll give him that, but seriously, most guys would spend their wholes working for a place like this." He noted.

Taking a moment to gather her courage, Ann looked at him with an aside glance. "What about you? Would you like to live in a place like this?"

"Yeah, I would." He spoke immediately. "But only if I had people to share it with." Ryuji watched her eyes widen. "I mean, a big fancy place like this, what's the point if there's only ever one person in it? I'd…I'd actually like it if I could get something _half _as big as this for my mom to live out the rest of her life in. As for me…well, like I said, I'd just want a house I'm happy to come back to."

"Would that include…I don't know…a wife and a kid or something?"

It was his turn to look directly at her. At the mention of family, Ryuji always got a bit…jittery. Personally, Ann blamed that on the shadow that had been cast by his father. Often people liked to cite the statistics of children of abusers growing up to become abusers themselves. Neither of them liked hearing such talk, but Ryuji especially. He was his own man, not the sorry excuse for a man that was his first. Over and over again, he'd told himself he'd never become like his father, but there were times his fears creeped into the forefront of his mind.

But then came people like Akira who drove back the darkness.

And then there was Ann, who literally stood before him, a soft hand on his cheek. It was the closest she'd ever been to him.

"Y-Yeah…that would…include a family. One I can…one I'd want to…" Trailed off the former track runner. "Do you think I could do something like that? Me, the school delinquent? "

Her smile was like a bright flame in a dark night. Ryuji could have lost himself in it, he'd have willingly burnt his hands trying to grab it. "Hey, I've seen you tackle monsters, weirdos, murders, scumbags, and a god. Ryuji Sakamoto, you're a lot of things, but you're no failure. You're…" She could have kept on using words, but at this point Ann realized there was something else she could use to get her feelings across.

There was no warning to the kiss, it was just something they both fell into. Obviously, it was Ryuji's first, but not Ann's. But it was the first one that she'd ever truly enjoyed. She immediately adapted a fondness for his lips, leaning most of her body against his. Ryuji expectedly held strong against her, holding her by the waist as their lips meshed against one another. A brief second and they broke apart, then resumed with their tongues shyly stretching out to meet one another. Behind them, thunder and rain roared through the door and windows.

Forced to by the need for air, Ann pulled away first. Her lips were bright red, the same color now gradually spreading across her cheeks. "Bedroom, now."

Her wish was his command. He'd always found Ann a bit on the…light side, but this time around, she seemed to weigh as much as a feather. That said, there was absolutely nothing soft in the way she initiated their next kiss. Ryuji once more felt his brain begin to spin around and around nearly sending him tripping over his own two feet. Somehow, he managed to keep himself steady and upright while holding onto the blonde beauty in his arms. Ann withdrew for a few quick breaths before reengaging him. He was hard-pressed to fight her off. The blonde's hands were skirting across his neck and onto his shoulders. Ryuji felt himself wobble more than once and prayed he'd make it to her bedroom before his legs gave out.

Against all odds, he made it. She took him down with her when they hit the bed, their lips separated but only briefly. Their respective breaths tickled one another as they spent the next several seconds staring into each other's eyes. As much as Ann wanted to deny it, this wasn't the first time she'd been in this situation, but it certainly was the first time she truly _liked _the person hovering above her. It was also a first for Ryuji. Needless to say, this was the farthest he'd ever gotten with a member of the female sex. His nervousness was on full display.

Ann actually found that charming as she reached up to stroke his cheek. Just as before, a hot blush broke out across his face, one that could have rivaled her Phantom Thief outfit.

He spoke first. "U-Um, d-do you wanna…ya' know, stop?"

She was torn between laughing and groaning in irritation. Ann decided to do the former, though she let her annoyance show on her face. "I invite you into my home, ask you to take me to my bedroom and I'm three seconds away from gabbing you and kissing the living daylights out of you. All that and you're still in doubt?"

Somehow, Ryuji managed to look even cuter, though Ann wasn't as heartless as to completely ignore the concern on his face. It actually further hammered home that she'd made the right decision. "It's just I…I know you haven't had the best of luck with guys and…ya' know. Ann, I…I don't want this to be something you end up regretting. We can-mmph!" He'd been caught completely and totally off-guard by her, again. Ryuji felt his whole body suddenly unwind as his friend's right hand dug into his head while her left started snaking its way beneath his shirt. "A-A-Ann, c-c-come on,"

Giggled, she moved her lips from his to his cheek. Her silky fingers slid from the back of his head to his neck. She could practically feel the goosebumps beginning to form all over his skin. "Does that answer your question? Ryuji, I'm going to say this as plainly as possible." Pulling away so they were eye-level, she dropped all pretenses for humor. It was an expression Ryuji wasn't sure he'd seen since the Metaverse. "I _want _to do this, and I want to do this with _you _because I…I…I…Ilikeyoualot!" Now it was her turn to blush, and in front of one of the few people she tried hard to avoid looking embarrassed in front of.

Thankfully, Ryuji was treating the moment with the seriousness it warranted. And his response was just the sort that Ann had secretly been hoping for. "You know…I…like you a lot too, and I don't just mean because you're the hottest girl I've ever seen."

"Been taking lessons from Akira, huh?" She grinned.

"Shut up." Joked the former tracker star with a light smile. "I mean it though, you're…you're gorgeous. I-I know I may ogle at other girls-"

"Really? I never noticed."

"But you're the...I always found to look the…best." He'd tried like hell to keep his day dreaming of this moment to a minimum. Now he was desperately wishing he'd paid more thought to how a potential confession could pan out. Knowing him though, such thoughts would have been little help in real life. Figures he'd fall into a mess like this. But he had to keep going, if only to see the end of it. "Odds are you get a lot of guys looking at you, compliment you, and I…I know I really don't have the best track record to say this, but I really, really do like you, Ann. I'm…not really sure what that's worth, but I want you to-"

For the second time, she interrupted him with a kiss, one just as passionate as the last. Ann took control this time, rolling the tow of them over so she was on top. The former delinquent wasn't complaining about the change in position, or the blonde beauty currently kissing him. While she did that, Ann began to move her hands out until her palms were lying flat against Ryuji's. Lacing their fingers together, she withdrew her lips to look down upon him. "Why shouldn't I take your feelings seriously? You're right, I've gotten half-assed compliments and cat-calls, some of them that left me wanting to punch out someone's lights out. I'd be lying if I didn't say some days that included you." Both shared a short bout of laughter at the old memories. In Ryuji's case, she'd carried through on her threats. "But then there were days when you…you were the best friend a girl could have asked for, more than a friend sometimes. You know where this is going, don't you?"

The former strong man could clearly count out the number of beats his heart took in the silent void that followed. "Um…maybe, sorta?"

Sighing, she rose upward, making sure to keep their hands laced together. "Ryuji Sakamoto, I like you too. Now, I'm asking this as directly as I can while I've still got the guts to…will you have sex with me? Will you…will you let me be your girlfriend?"

Never in all his life did Ryuji ever think he'd hear such a declaration followed by a request. Less so in regards to who it was coming from. If anything, he'd always assumed it'd be Akira or Yusuke in this position. Not him, no matter how much he liked to think it was possible, deep down, he always knew he wasn't the type of guy a beautiful girl like Ann would ever come onto. Not just the last couple of days, practically the last year and a half had steadily sparked a fragile hope that maybe it wasn't out of reach. Ann had just come along and ignited that spark, turning it into a roaring flame that was illuminated an unknown yet enticing future. Boldly, he reached out to touch it.

Moaning in bliss, the blonde happily relinquished control of the embrace to her former teammate and friend. To her slight surprise, Ryuji was being amazingly gentle with her, far more than what she'd been expecting from him. _It's…it's Ryuji, who am I kidding? _She realized with glee. Her hands moved south again, finding the rim of his undershirt. They briefly separated to look into one another's eyes as confirmation before going forward. Ryuji's arms rose allowing her to remove his shirt exposing his upper body to her. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him shirtless, but it was certainly the closest she'd ever been to him. As much as her pride would have rather had her deny it, she had fantasized about his unclothed body for what was going on three weeks, almost a month. Now that she was finally seeing it…she was far from disappointed.

Ryuji's whole body tingled as Ann's fingers slowly slid across his torso. It was entirely different from the feeling of her arms on his arms or his shoulders, or even when they had clothes on. With control that surprised even him, he leaned down, plating his lips against Ann's again. Happily moaning into the kiss, she began to lightly claw at his exposed back. Ryuji had never felt anything like it before, and he sure as hell liked it. Quite a bit. He groaned into the kiss, much to her his natural-blonde lover's pleasure. She could see him reacting to her touch thus kept on going, intent on driving him as far up the wall as she possibly could. Ryuji decided that two could play at that game. With novice knowledge and skill but a burning desire, he moved his hands toward her hips. Experimentally, he pressed down upon her sides.

He was rewarded with an impassioned cry when they briefly broke for air. Ann's cheeks were red, quickly approaching the shade of her Phantom Thief outfit. A thought crossed Ryuji's head-making her entire face, and perhaps even her whole body, burn that same shade of red. Him being the reason behind such coloration appealed to him, made his heart race. Evidently, Ann's heart was racing as well given the way she looked at him. It was a plea to continue his actions, rather the kiss or his touch. He decided to continue both. Within seconds, his hands had dipped beneath the rim of her shirt to feel the soft skin beneath.

As exhilarating as the feeling was, Ann managed to remain focused. Lightly digging her nails into his back, she moved, throwing the two of them to the side. As one would have expected, Ryuji hadn't seen it coming, but given the new position they were in he was far from complaining about it. Crimson mutually covered their faces as they did nothing but breath out, quietly looking each other over. She was straddling him, him, shirtless and slightly sweaty. Ann had always known that Ryuji was amongst the most physical fit of their group, but that fact didn't become totally evident until she stared down at his scarred and muscular body. A scar raced down his right shoulder blade half-way to his chest while another, a burn scar, colored his lower right-side. On his left was a jagged, impact-like scar he'd gained from Shido, their most hated foe. Ann could still recall the horror she'd felt watching the pumped-up Samael smack Ryuji to the side like he was a fly. She could still remember the mind-numbing horror, and the burning rage that had raced through her watching Ryuji's body skid across the ground.

Her hand subconsciously felt around the old wound. His hand fell atop of hers', somewhat surprising her. No doubt he'd touched it from time to time, thinking back to the pain and agony that had come with receiving it. Ryuji's other arm looped around Ann's neck which he used to pull himself upright. A hush ran through her as she felt his breath intersect with hers'. Her entire body tingled with want that was mirrored in his, yet held back some by ethereal net. Staring at one another, breathing on one another, holding one another, it was a strange limbo they weren't in a big hurry to climb out of.

"Ryuji…you're…you're…you've lifted a lot weights." It was without a doubt the stupidest thing she could have said, yet she'd said it anyway. Such a line was all she could come up with while caught up in the maelstrom of emotions that had been unleashed within her. At the very least he wasn't laughing at her or attempting to sprout some corny remark.

The runner's mouth opened and shut several times, which when coupled with his blush made him look rather adorable. It was clear he was struggling to find something to say, arguably something romantic and emotional, two areas that weren't his strong suit. That was when he was consciously trying. Still, he managed to come up with something. "You're…you're gorgeous, just 'effin' gorgeous, perfect. I-I know I've said this before, b-but I…Ann, I really mean it.' Courage gathered, he dared to look into her sky-blue eyes. Pure truth radiated from his gentle brown orbs as he gave her hips a light squeeze before pressing his lips against hers'. Ann eagerly fell into the kiss, wrapping her arms around the former track star's neck. "I want you."

"Then have me, Ryuji. Have all of me, like I told you, I want to do this with you because…I…I want you too." Whispered back the former whip-user. Her heart was drumming in her chest like the thunder that had previously shook the skies. Moving her right hand from his shoulders to his cheeks, she stroked it with feline-like affection. Another tremor shook his body as Ryuji's blood ignited beneath her touch. The flames traveled to his heart, which then filtered them through his body. He finally returned them via the lips. They willing let the fire spiral outward, like a crimson flower blooming to a red-hot sun. It was a flower they'd been nurturing for almost two years in their own separate way.

Countless boys and even a few teachers had talked of what it'd be like to strip Ann of her clothing. Ryuji never liked them, but as his feelings grew he started to despise such whispers, almost to the point where he wanted to punch out those speaking them. He knew it was wrong, especially since he himself had no claim to the beautiful blonde, less so given his usual behavior. And yet here he was, toying with the corners of her shirt, in her bedroom, alone with her in her own home. Nowhere he was, doing what those jerks had dreamt of. Momentary disgust rumbled within Ryuji's stomach only to be swept away by an unexpected but welcome kiss from Ann. It was as if she were able to read his thoughts, see his insecurities and burn them away as she did the Shadows in the Metaverse. It further drove home his belief that he'd gotten incredibly lucky.

"Did you…did you…do this on purpose?" If his face got any redder then there was a good chance it was going to explode. Ann's giggling made it clear she wouldn't mind such a thing happening, and she'd likely put all the pieced back together no matter how long it took. "I-I mean s-s-seriously?"

"What? Weren't you the one that said pink was a girl's color?" There was no way she was going to answer his question; it was much more enjoyable watching him squirm. "What, you don't think pink suits me, Skull?"

Immediately, he shook his head back and forth, praying he didn't look as ridiculous as guys like him usually did. Really, what guy wouldn't be a flustered man with the girl of their dreams lying beneath them in nothing but her pink bra and panties? His mind immediately jumped to Akira, who no doubt would handle the situation with his damn unshakable cool. How Ryuji wished he could borrow some of his friend's swagger at times like this, or better yet, get his advice since he'd apparently "done it" before. Pushing the thoughts away, he refocused on the olive-skinned girl beneath him, who'd patiently waited for him to regain his nerve. In staring down at her, a realization struck him.

His hands gasped at Ann's-the act somewhat caught her off-guard as she sensed the sudden shift in his aura. Blue eyes met warm brown. For just a brief moment, both their heart beat in tandem with one another.

Ann had been expected another kiss, while she did get it, the target wasn't her lips. "R-R-Ryuji," whispered the teenager as she felt her delinquent lover plant the first of many kisses on her collarbone. Though she'd been kissed there before, never had the feeling it elected been one of joy instead of repulsion. It felt positively delightful. The Chariot-aligned runner planted two more kisses on her neck that sent chills down Ann's spine. Now she knew what she'd made him feel mere moments earlier. Ann's hands clapped down on his as his lips began a steady decent down her body. It felt like he was keeping her in place both physical and emotionally. That, or maybe she simply didn't want to move. It seemed to be the latter as Ryuji removed her hands from hers. Immediately, Ann latched onto his backside, her nails slightly digging into his skin. She didn't want his body to leave hers'.

Resolute hands fumbled with the straps to her bra. Obviously, he had no idea what he was doing, but Ann was content to wait for him; in fact, she seemed to enjoy the blissful silence that followed. A short while later and her ears registered the sound of her bra strap coming undone. Ann whispered a go-ahead which she wasn't even sure Ryuji could hear. Regardless, he took hold of the pink cloth and pulled away. A dam broken within Ann allowing a tsunami of nervous to overtake her. Guys had often complimented her on her breasts before, but she cared very little for their opinions. Ryuji had sometimes made cracks about them, but never had she seriously paid them much thought. In front of him at least. Her unobscured mounds were now in plain view of him.

And he was completely awe-struck by what he saw. _Holy shit, they're…they're…_Swallowing a lump in his throat, he fought the dirty, masculine urges that had nearly overwritten him. Taking a long, deep breath, he directed his gaze towards Ann. She was once more caught off-guard, more so by the soft kiss he planted against her lips. It was clear she hadn't been expecting the act, but she was happy for the surprise. Her grip on his backside grew tighter as she pressed her now naked chest against his equally bare body.

"Ann," whispered the former tracker runner. "Don't ever let anything those other models say get you down, alright?"

She laughed, filling a small tear forming in her eyes. Such simple words, yet the emotion in them was worth all the money in the world. All the praise in the world. "You know, if we keep going, I may ask you to say that every day."

"I've got no problems doing that," he laughed. "Because I'll never stop believing it, believing in you."

They held each other for the next several minutes, not exactly kissing or stroking one another, just basking in the warmth of their union. Outside the window, rain continued to patter with stray flashes of lightning illuminating the darken sky. Drums of thunder periodically sounded, acting as a soothing melody for the teenage couple. It was a song just for them.

A heavy beat sounded seemingly shaking the city. Ryuji rose with his element, peering down at his long-haired love. Ann exhaled as she felt his breath tickle her right breast. In a second, he bit down on it, and that's when the female blonde's mouth stretched open into a wide moan. Once more, Ryuji proved how different he was, that he cared. Previous bedroom partners had tore at her breasts like ravenous beasts, she'd been lucky that her body had healed from them leaving no permanent markings. Personally, Ann would have hated that. She was lucky in that way, and in another.

Ryuji was going soft on her breasts, softer than Ann would have liked. Though she appreciated his actions, she wanted to him to go faster. Through her hands and body, she passed that thought onto him. Her palms gripped his yellow spikes in which she dug her fingers into. Getting the hint, Ryuji bit down a tad bit harder, the result was Ann letting out a throaty moan that was sweet music to his ears. The male wanted to hear more of the sound, and she was more than willing to provide for him. All he had to do was keep up his current actions. Ryuji did so with no more hesitation, adding his hands to the massaging of Ann's breasts.

In seconds, she'd given up the ability to speak coherently. This was a first time for such a thing, for her mind to be near completely overridden with lust and desire for the man atop of her. It was true and coming from the bottom of her heart, filling it to the brim. Though darkness covered the room, Ann could have sworn she saw countless colored lights dancing across the ceiling. Products of her mind growing more and more detached as the seconds passed. She continuously bit her lip in vain attempts to stave off the rolling waves of euphoria, but it was no use.

When it all came to a sudden stop, Ann nearly bolted her head upward, a mixture of anger and confusion coloring her face. "R-Ryuji?"

"Are you…enjoying this?" he asked with noticeable shyness.

"Of course, I'm enjoying this! You're the best I…you're…" Crimson remained on her cheeks as she fought between going all the way and just giving Ryuji a hint. She went with the former since she felt he deserved it. Reaching out with her left hand, she gently took hold of his wrist and guided it downward. Naturally, shock painted his face, turning it almost as red as hers'. "Do it, I'm…I'm yours', Ryuji, and you're mine." His expression softened. The male blond reached up to press his lips against hers while his fingers slowly, cautiously began to work on pleasuring her lower hole. Pure bliss shot through Ann like lightning, connecting to every nerve in her body until she was lit up like a Christmas tree. She could hear her heart continuously racing in her chest, and maybe the faint echo at the edge of her ears was Ryuji's own ticker beating in tandem. Ann rather liked that thought-their hearts accelerating until they matched one another's rhythm.

Speaking of rhythm, Ryuji seemed to have found his in regards to fingering her pussy. It was honestly surprising to her, but in a pleasant way. Brief breaks in their lip-locks resulted in her biting her lips in an effort to keep her moans silent. Ryuji had other identities as the thrusting of his fingers intensified. There were a number of things she wanted to say, but between Ryuji's hands and his eyes, Ann was speechless. It was an amazing turnaround from their usual positions; more startling was the fact that her loud-mouthed but loving friend wasn't taking advantage of it. Evident in his eyes was a desire to please her, make her feel loved in a way she'd never felt. Ann wanted to return that feeling, make Ryuji feel the same way. She showed it in wrapping her arms around his neck, commanding her body to respond as much as possible.

A shred of rationality crawled up from the back of Ryuji's mind and seized the controls. During another brief break for air, he moved his fingers away, gripping the corners of her panties. If she came then she'd stain them, and as much as a part of him would have liked to see that, Ryuji knew all sorts of mishaps could happen when doing laundry. Maybe he'd been hanging out with Akira for too long or maybe his own gentlemanly side was stronger than he'd originally thought. Either way, he removed the wet undies and dropped them on the floor. What greeted his sight was Ann's bright pink vagina, a small tuff of blonde hair sitting above it. A sweet fragrance captivated his senses nearly driving him mind. Following a short glance, he dove into his former teammate's lower regions.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Ann had thought his earlier kisses had been lightning, but she'd been wrong. His tongue ravishing her pussy was the true divine fire that she'd secretly longed for. She could feel her entire back side arch off the ground, all of her restraints and worries burning away and her soul beginning to leave her body. Momentarily, Ann could have sworn she felt tears at the edge of her eyes. Daring to look down, she saw Ryuji's dyed blond hair; to her, it resembled a spiky mound of gold. Eagerly, she reached out to take a fistful of the gold. Another throaty moan exploded from her lips.

_She's liking this…she's liking this. _He'd truly underestimated how much he wanted Ann to feel loved. Based on the sweet sounds she was making; Ryuji had succeeded in his original goal. That fact alone made him feel happy and proud. Oh, and there was the feeling of her hands digging into his head. Now he understood what some men seemed to find appealing in such an act; it felt…good, fulfilling in a way that made his heart skip a beat. Ryuji knew what he wanted, for Ann's pleasure to continue and for her to keep massaging his head.

With each second, Ann felt her breath quickening and her heart rate doing the same. Any moment, she was going to burst. She kept telling herself not yet, she didn't want the feeling to end. It was like pressing her arms against a door that was about to break. A valiant effort it may have been, it was for naught.

"R-Ryuji!"

No more what he wonder what it'd feel like to hear Ann Takamaki scream his name in orgasmic bliss. No more would he wonder it a woman's juices tasted like or how it felt to make a woman orgasm.

Words could not express any of it, nor could the teen's pride and joy be measured in any way. It cut both ways as Ann felt herself soar higher and higher beyond the black-colored clouds. Ryuji ascended with her, exploring the upper boundaries together alongside of her. The "Euphoria Express" as she'd heard some call it. Admittedly, Ann had found it to be a corny name, and that it often seated only one. This time though, she was actually along for the ride, and what a lovely ride it was.

As with all things, an end had to come. What went up had to come down, but that didn't mean they couldn't get the most out of it. Feeling drained, Ann laid her head back and allowed her lower lips to ink out as much of her juices as possible with minimal effort. That wasn't too hard as now that the dam had burst, there was no stopping the ocean-sized contents it had been holding back. Ryuji gladly opened himself up to the white waters. He gulfed down as much of it as he could not caring about what escaped his mouth and stained his face and shoulders. Somehow, Ann could see it all; most of all, she could see his smile, feel it in her heart.

Finally, a lone tear escaped her eyelids. She was happy that Ryuji was preoccupied at the moment, she didn't want him to see it and get the wrong idea. Gently, she swiped it away with her right fingers, which remained that. Ann was too lazy to move the rest of her body, instead, she simply let Ryuji move it for her. It felt oddly…arousing and at the same time soothing. Once again, Ann chalked that up to the fact that she actually _liked _having the former club-wielder in-between her legs. A part of her whispered that her legs would be the only pair he'd ever know, that he'd ever desire in life. It sounded an awful lot like Carmen's. In the end, she supposed her twin-tailed Persona had indeed been right. Ann was thankful neither she nor Hecate were present or else she never would have heard the end of it from either of them.

Though it felt like it'd never end, eventually the flood from Ann's lower lips came to a close. Ryuji wasn't at all sound as he'd gotten more than his fill, and then some. He heard her sigh as he pulled himself away from her, not preoccupied with cleaning himself off.

_I…really just did that. The first girl I've ever eaten out…Ann, sweet, bold, and loud-mouthed Ann. _The thought echoed in his head like a bell that had been waiting to be rung. A part of him was still in denial, hell, any second, he fully expected lightning to strike, Ann's room and Ann herself to disappear and find himself standing in the middle of nowhere. Or worse, be back in Kamoshida's office. Slowly, he glanced upward half-expecting any of those things to happen.

What met his eyes were the light blue of Ann, the girl he'd developed feelings for. Feelings he'd tried to bury away but had now forced themselves upward. If his eyes weren't deceiving him, he could have sworn that she understood exactly what he was feeling. "So, how do I…how do I taste?" Far from bold and challenging, her voice was shy.

"Y-You…you…" Briefly, he thought about his next words. "Ann, you taste fuckin' amazing."

A wide smile broke out along her face as she sat upright. She'd clearly regained quite a bit of energy, enough to beckon him upright and kiss him. There seemed to be some pleasure derived from her tasting her own juices on his lips. "Good enough that you'll never think of another girl after this night?"

Ryuji felt a tremor shake his body. During the second they pulled away he could read her eyes perfectly. It was a surreal moment. "What other girl could compare to you?"

"You know," began the quarter-Caucasian girl. "After that, I may just end up holding you to those words."

He gripped her by the hips and moved them over to the center of the bed. Warm brown eyes stared back into her light-blue. "I mean it, I really mean it, Ann. You're…like I said, I may look around, but in the end you're…you're the only girl I've ever really…I mean…"

"You've touched yourself thinking of me?" She grinned.

"You already know the answer to that!"

"Good, because that means I'm not the only one." Ann softly spoke.

It took Ryuji a full minute to register her words. "H-HUH?! F-FOR REAL?!"

"Hey, hey, not so loud!" Though a warning, she couldn't keep her laughter contained. The shock of her statement caught him off-guard long enough for her to flip the two of them over. Even as she leered above him, Ryuji remained in shock at her words. "Since we're being honest with our feelings, yeah. I've touched myself thinking of you because…you're the guy that I've been falling for. That I have fallen for. You could say I'm…I'm living the dream now." As if to back her, the sky let loose with another crack of thunder. It matched the drumming of Ryuji's heart. Ann placed her hand above his chest so she could feel that drumming. She looked forward to nights when the soft rhythm would serve as a lullaby for her. "Speaking of dreams, it's about time I fulfilled one of yours, isn't it?"

Immediately, getting her drift, Ryuji's face flushed beat-red. Ann didn't try to fight back the snicker of amusement born from seeing it. She couldn't help herself as she leaned upward and pecked his right cheek. His hand went to said cheek just as it'd done a few days before when she kissed him on the cheek as a show of affection. Seeing it, Ann realized she hoped that part of Ryuji never changed, that innocent shyness beneath the tough-guy act he put on for the sake of others.

The former track runner tried in vain to calm his racing heart. Everything that was happening to him, everything he'd seen on movies and late-night videos his mother would have skinned him alive had she discovered, all of it raced through his mind. Yet, he couldn't grab onto any of it for help or advice. It was both amazing and frightening.

"_Just let it go and follow your instincts." _Akira had chuckled that evening. Of all the memories for him to grasp, it had to be that one. The one that Ryuji felt was the least helpful for his current situation.

"_Seriously?! Dude, this is real life, not a romance novel or some TV show!" _

"_Between the two of us, which one has actually slept with a girl?" _

Ryuji opened his mouth and closed it several times, all quietly debating his next words instead of shouting them out on reflex. He knew Akira was a skilled liar, when he had to be. When around the likes of his friends and confidants, he merely avoided directly answering a question. Ryuji knew his odds of getting a straight answer from his best friend were slim to none, but he was still going to try. _"You know, you never told me WHO you…did it with. Was it Makoto?" _

"_No." _

"…_Haru?" _

"_Nope." _

Futaba would have been the next guess, but the blond knew his black-haired friend felt nothing but familial love for the hacker. She was his surrogate sister and could never possibly think of her in that way. Unfortunately, with the response regarding Haru, Ryuji found he was out of potential candidates.

"_It's someone I don't know, isn't it?" _He finally said throwing up his arms in surrender.

There was a brief chuckle from the dark-haired Persona-user. _"Actually, you do know her, but I don't think she's the first person that comes to mind for romance. Ryuji, this isn't about me though, it's about you. Like I said, when that time comes, just go with the flow. Remember, it's special for not just you, but her as well. You want Ann to feel loved, and if I knew her, she's going to make sure she makes you feel loved too. Sit back and let her do the work when that happens. Afterwards…" _

"Ah…ahhhh!"

He nearly bolted upright, a response that Ann had somewhat been expecting. Glancing down, he saw a glorious mop of blonde hair in-between his legs, a rather audible sound slowly rising in his ears. Another pleasurable sensation rocked him, causing Ryuji to throw his head back. Within seconds, he realized the true weight of Akira's words. Letting go really was the answer, and that's exactly what he did. It was a feeling beyond words.

_He's…big…big and…tasty. _Giggled the former whip-user as she took in as much of his cock as she could. For the first time, she didn't feel a rough hand palming her head or hear harsh commands to go faster and go full deepthroat. Either by will or overwhelmed by the bliss, Ryuji was letting Ann go at her own pace. Gently, she began to massage the base of his cock, feeling it throb within her mouth. Her soon-to-be boyfriend's cries of bliss rung in her ears; Ann's heart fluttered with every cry, each one growing louder and louder.

"ANNNN!"

Seconds before the blast came, she pulled back just enough so that she wouldn't be completely overwhelmed by her lover's orgasm. Still, Ryuji came quite a bit, perhaps a bit more than she'd been expecting. The female blonde received yet another sweet surprise. All of his being was hers' for the taking, and she took as much as she could handle. In spite of his winded breathing and fog-covered eyes, Ryuji encouraged her to continue, his body kept on giving her more of the sweet nectar that she'd secretly longed to sample. Ann didn't care that some of it got onto her face, her neck, or even in her hair. As fair as she was concerned, that was part of being intimate with someone that she loved. And she loved Ryuji, loved him enough that she'd found some way to get to him every day of the week if she could.

As he lay back, releasing his manly juices into Ann's mouth, Ryuji realized just how right his best friend. _"It'll be…amazing, just really amazing. When that moment comes, just let it all out." _That's exactly what he was doing, even if he did somehow feel like he just ran close to a marathon. The exhaustion that usually came with such an exercise was rapidly being chased away by a sweet, dream-like feeling. Ryuji felt like after the run he was ascending atop a cloud, straight into the heavens.

He'd become lost in the rhythmic flow of it, which was just what Ann hoped. At best, all Ryuji felt were feather-like tickles against his body. It wasn't until he felt Ann's sweat and moist lips against his cheeks did he realized not only had he stopped cumming but she'd removed her lips from his member. Turning his head, he smiled seeing Ann had positioned herself to his right, her arms spread across his chest. Not missing a beat, he turned over to grasp her waist in his arms. Ann giggled before their lips connected, meanwhile, their naked and sweaty bodies pressed against one another. Her breasts meshed against his bare chest while his cock pressed against her vaginal lips.

"Ready for more?" Whispered the up-incoming-model with a devious grin. "Before you ask, don't worry, I'm on the pill so…"

She'd seemingly read his mind and put to sleep the last of his lingering doubts. Sitting upright, she positioned Ann onto his lap, her hands remained fasten to his shoulders. "You know, I…I never thought I'd be in this situation, I-I mean doing this with you. You're…"

"I'm your girlfriend, you're my boyfriend." She plainly stated leaning in so their foreheads touched. A shiver ran through their respective bodies as the miniscule yet heartfelt gesture. "I don't care who knows about us or what they think. In fact, I want the world to know that you're mine, and I'm yours'." The couple exchanged a smile. Ann rose her hips upward, positioning her snatch directly above Ryuji's erect cock. The long-haired blonde silent nodded her confirmation to her lover before bringing herself down.

Within seconds, Ryuji felt Ann's carnal walls squeeze his cock like a vice. It was…beyond words, or at least any he could come up with. Either by his will, hers, or complete accident, he penetrated deeply into her. The suddenness of it and fullness of his cock somewhat caught Ann by surprise. Her nails dug into her lover's shoulder blades sending pleasurable jolts of pain racing through him. By reflex, he rocked his hips upward; the match set fire to the blue-eyed girl as she repeated her actions, hungry for more. She was not disappointed. For a brief moment, she pulled away so her eyes could meet those of Ryuji's.

A second later and they were going at it; Ryuji earnestly thrusting his hips upward and Ann bouncing atop of him. Hands gripped at sweaty bodies and hot and labored breaths flew from their respective mouths. Said breaths were at times muted when the teens smashed their lips against one another. Ann's left hand slid from Ryuji's shoulder to his head. It felt like if she let go of him, he'd slip away from her forever. That wasn't something she wanted, Ann wanted to hold onto the loud-mouthed boy for as long as she could. The feeling was without a doubt mutual as Ryuji gripped Ann's hips like a lifeline.

The thunder outside was matched the heavy panting of the two teens. Rain mimicked the sweat quickly accumulating and rolling down their bodies while they danced the most sensual of tangos. In spite of his nervousness and inexperience, Ryuji was doing well, better than well as far as Ann was concerned. He was the perfect partner, her soul mate. His hands grasped at her body, his thumbs lightly massaging her skin even as he pounded into her with all that he had. It felt like the lightning outside was being funneled through his body and shot into hers'; it was a wondrous feeling she'd never forget.

_I really can't believe I'm saying this, but…Ryuji…you're…you're my one. You're mine, the person that I want to…_ Thought the former whip-user.

_There's a chance I may mess this up, but for your sake, Ann, I want to try my best. I promise, I'll give you my all. No matter what happens I…_ Proclaimed the Phantom Thieves' strongman.

They felt it coming in unison. It was a pulse, a rumbling within their bodies that grew stronger and stronger with each second. Building within their bodies and ready to burst like a clap of thunder. It was seconds away and they both knew it. The pair looked into one another's eyes, seeing a multitude of emotions running through them, but one standing out above all the others-acceptance.

"ANN!"

"RYUJI!"

Roaring in dual delight, the model and runner cemented their body, the stormy skies beyond the window as their one and only witness. Heads flew back and bodies trembled in lustful delight while the orgasmic storm rocked the pair's bodies. Hand-in-hand, they ascended back upward into the skies, and began the decent back down together. Their hold on each other never loosened, and it never would.

They lay in the bed, a tangled mass of limbs and sweaty bodies. Short breaths flew from their lips as they began to steady climb down from their mutual orgasm. The progression of time was marked by the rain outside, a steady patter that would have lulled them to sleep had they not still retained a trace of strength in their respective bodies.

"So, does this make you my…girlfriend?" Ryuji asked.

"Pretty much, I'm trusting you to treat me right." Giggled Ann snuggling up to his chest as best she could. "Since you're my boyfriend now, that means you have free reign to come to my photoshoots, just…"

"If I see anyone looking at you a bit funny, I can't make any promises. No one disses my girl while I'm around."

Laughing, she placed a light kiss against his neck. "My heroic protector, don't ever change, Ryuji. I know people may call you out on what you think are your flaws, but…they're a part of you. And I love you for them. Even your loud mouth."

"I've been getting better." He coolly fired back. There was more to be said, but his stomach chose that moment to speak up. Ryuji didn't fight the childish blush that marked his cheeks. "Um, you…wouldn't happen to have any good in this big 'ole house, would ya'?"

Sitting upright, she traced a lazy line about his chest. "We might have something you-"

_**RING! RING! **_

Both teens looked to the pile of clothing that lay at the side of the bed. Ryuji immediately recognized it to be his phone. Getting the hint, Ann got off of him and allowed him to scramble over to fish it out of the pile.

"Hello? Oh, yeah, mom. Don't worry, I'm fine. Yeah, yeah, I'm staying out of the rain." From those little bits Ann was able to deduce what the call was about. She smiled in gentle amusement at the conversation. There were times she would have liked for her mother to call her up like that to check on her, or perhaps do it a bit more often. Ann was drawn out of her thoughts when she saw her boyfriend look to her with a serious expression. She got the message immediately. Without a word, her hand stretched out.

Face beat-red, Ryuji handed her the phone. "Um, hello, Mrs. Sakamoto? It's me, Ann. Ryuji's staying at my place, is that alright? Oh? Yes, don't worry, I fully trust him around our breakables." The two women got off a good laugh at the male's expanse. "Uh-huh, thank you, thank you again, I'll see you soon." She hung up the phone and handed it back to its proper owner. "I…do you think she might know?"

Ryuji sat back down beside her, unease dancing off him same as her. "I honestly don't know. I…I want to tell her since she's my mom and…"

She placed her hand over his, he immediately squeezed back. "I'd like her to be the first to know. Probably got to tell her we used protection first."

"Yeah, but what about your folks?"

As if to answer his question for him, thunder boomed outside, nearly shaking the entire house. Ann's face mirrored the tone it set.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, how does that sound?"

Grinning, he leaned forward to place a kiss against her lips. A part of Ann wanted to go further, but she figured that was enough for now. They had the rest of the day, tomorrow, and the future ahead of them. There was no need to rush.

* * *

"GAAAAHHH!"

"What?! What?!" Akira practically dropped his text-book from his lap and onto the floor as he looked to his left to find his feline companion looking like he'd just avoided having all of his fur burnt off. "What the hell's wrong with you?!"

"I…I don't know." Cried the blue-eyed feline looking at the human with wide eyes. "I-I just got the feeling that something _horrible wrong _just happened somewhere. You know, like on that TV show with that Rando guy who's basically a living danger detector. It's like a meteor just struck the earth!"

Akira looked at Morgana with a mixture of skepticism and intrigue. It wasn't like him to lie or make a scene, at least not on a daily basis. Actually, he was getting an odd feeling, not quite as extreme as Morgana, but something that made him look out the window in wonder.

"Akira! What was that?" Called his mother from downstairs.

"Oh, nothing, just Mona playing around with an electric socket! Nothing to worry about!" Called back the teen before turning to face his feline friend. "What? I had to tell her something. Besides, I'm sure you're just imagining things."

Morgana looked to him in worry before accepting his owner and friend's words. Jumping from his desk to the window, he looked out to the clear skies beyond the Kurusu household. It was a beautiful sunny day so maybe it was just his paranoia getting to him. _Hm, I wonder what Lady Ann is doing right about now? Hopefully next time we visit Tokyo I'll be able to sneak off for some alone time with her. _Thought the blue-eyed cat with a snicker.

* * *

**For the record, this story is going to have something of a sequel, and yes, it will involve Morgana finding out the horrible truth. Don't expect it to end well, for Ryuji I mean. In closing, I really like Ryuji/Ann and I'll admit I honestly wish if the latter is not romanced the two could end up in a romantic relationship. Hell, I almost wish a page could be taken out of Fire Emblem's playbook and have the playable characters paired up with each other. Another topic for another day. Leave your thoughts in the reviews and until next time! **


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